The initiator of the Vienna Symphonic Library and managing director of the firm of the same name was already playing chamber music and filling in as needed in the Vienna Philharmonic while studying the cello. At the age of 21 his career path struck off in an entirely new direction when he fulfilled a long-cherished wish by entering the world of film, which has always held a strong fascination for him. After training as a cameraman he took on this role, and that of director, on movies and documentaries for the cinema and TV (Die Kraniche des Ibikus, Der Fleischwolf, Paragliding Xdream, Der Fremde, Die goldene Stadt, Ein Weg durch ein Jahrtausend etc.). At the same time he developed his career as a composer of film music, writing not only for productions he himself was directing, but also accepting commissions (Die Reise nach Absurdistan, Tatort, Mauthausen etc.). This combination of directing and composing became his trade mark, as seen (and heard) in a range of productions and advertising films which include a number of award-winners (Alcatel, Mobilkom, Palmers, Renault, Red Bull, Rotes Kreuz, Verbund, VOEST, Wienerberger etc.).
Herb Tucmandl proved his instinct for technical innovation over ten years ago with the development of a unique computer-controlled optical printing process on 16 mm film for the combination of animated and live action sequences (Lady, 1991) and the first-ever Austrian feature film with an entirely digital soundtrack (Der Fremde, 1991).
With 6, started piano lessons at the Conservatory of the City of Vienna, with 14 founded his first music group, since 1977 participation in various band contests, first recordings from 1980 on, studied double bass at the Vienna Conservatory, from 1984 on at the Vienna Music School, 1985 founding member of the “Wiener Kammerphilharmonie” – as double bass soloist 1987 member of the “Gustav Mahler – Jugendorchester” ,from 1985 on, several CD recordings (Mozart, Schoenberg, Beethoven, etc …), substitute for the “Wiener Kammerorchester”, the “Symphonieorchester der Wiener Volksoper”, the “Vienna Symphonic Orchestra” and for the “Symphonieorchester Vorarlberg”, since 1986 world-wide tours with the “Wiener Kammerphilharmonie” (Japan, USA, Südamerika, concerts in all European musical centers (Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Brussels, etc …), subscription concert series – “Wiener Kammerphilharmonie” in the Wiener Musikverein concerts at the Salzburg Festival and the “Schubertiade”, several tours in Austria, since 1991 working in Vienna as a soloist, 1993 setting up his own studio – first compositions and arrangements, 1997 first CD production of his own, since 1999 film music projects for the McLaren-Mercedes formula-I Team,2000 founding member of the „Vienna Symphonic Library“, working as recording manager and artistic director.
On the Vienna Symphonic Library:
At long last I’m on the right side of the mike and control the whole world with my talkback button.